Your home is your castle, and you have a right to protect yourself and your family inside. This is exactly what one Ohio father did when his daughter’s ex boyfriend broke through the front door, and he shoots him.
Ohio Man Shoots His Daughter’s Ex Boyfriend as He Breaks Through Front Door
On July 31, a family’s Ring doorbell video shows 22-year-old James Rayl approaching the front door of their Sydney, Ohio, residence. Inside the home was Rayl’s ex girlfriend, from 18 months prior. However, the night before the incident, Rayl left a voicemail on the young woman’s phone. He then followed the family home the following day.
After reaching the door, Rayl rang the doorbell and was told that the daughter didn’t want to talk to him. He can then be seen taking a deep breath to muster some courage before trying the doorknob. The daughter can be heard in the background yelling, “James, no!”
When he cannot open the door with the doorknob, Rayl attempts to break it down. As he hits the door with his shoulder, you can hear the father repeatedly saying, “James, no,” calmly. Rayl begins to slam into the door harder, and the father notifies the undeterred would-be intruder, “I’ve got a gun.”
It was shortly after that when the door finally gave way. Immediately following, the father opened fire and 22-year-old James Rayl was shot three times. Turning to flee the gunfire, knees buckling, Rayl collapsed in front of the garage.
Hearing the ruckus, a neighbor crosses the lawn to see what is happening. When he sees Rayl lying motionless, the family notifies him of what has just taken place. As he gets closer to Rayl, he realizes he is no longer a threat and notifies his family to call 911. However, the family already had the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office on the phone.
Shortly after, law enforcement arrived and secured the scene.
The Aftermath
Fortunately, the father will not face charges for the incident and has already been cleared of wrongdoing.
According to KFOR, “Her father fatally shot the man three times, and a grand jury in Ohio has decided not to go forward with charges based on the Stand Your Ground Law and the Castle Doctrine, which allow homeowners in specific states to use deadly force during an intruder situation.”
Although it is always unfortunate to have to use deadly force, it is sometimes necessary. And even though we don’t know Rayl’s true motive, if this father hadn’t shot and killed him, he may have killed his daughter. The emotionless expression on the ex-boyfriend’s face in the video is often an indicator of ill intent.
So, I say, good for this father. He is just another in a long list of examples that guns do save lives.
